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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29127666">the highest bidder</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cress_ent/pseuds/cress_ent'>cress_ent</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Gen, Mercenaries, because he was talking about how he wanted one, during the dream confrontation scene, i give punz an epic speech, otherwise known as, that's it i literally just think punz is cool</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:08:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29127666</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cress_ent/pseuds/cress_ent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Punz slowly stalks forward, twirling his axe, staring down that imposing painted mask that covers any shock he’s sure Dream’s experiencing right now. “I’m sorry, Dream.” </p>
<p>“Punz, wh—”</p>
<p>With a sharp, swift slice that whooshes through the air, Punz points the blade of his axe towards Dream, allowing a cocky grin to spread across his face. “You should have paid me more.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>or, my reinterpretation of punz confronting dream, with an added epic speech because he deserves it</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clay | Dream &amp; Luke | Punz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>beet's c!punz fic recs, no-rpf dsmp collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the highest bidder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>// obligatory "this is about the characters they play in the dream smp lore and not the actual people" disclaimer</p>
<p>// [dream voice] According to AO3 Statistics, only a small percentage of my readers actually leave kudos and comments. So if you end up liking this fic, please consider leaving a kudos or comment - it's free, and you can always remove it later if you change your mind. Enjoy the fic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The familiar nausea of portal travel shoots through Punz, but he bites it back, steadying himself against the frame of the portal and stepping out into the dim room. The ceilings stretch up into the darkness as he moves forward, Tommy’s face morphing from fear to confusion to shock as he sees Punz. “You— you came!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Punz slowly stalks forward, twirling his axe, staring down that imposing painted mask that covers any shock he’s sure Dream’s experiencing right now. “I’m sorry, Dream.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Punz, wh—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a sharp, swift slice that whooshes through the air, Punz points the blade of his axe towards Dream, allowing a cocky grin to spread across his face. “You should have paid me more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Behind him, Punz can hear the portal whooshing as his companions come through into the room behind him, armour clanking and weapons unsheathing as they pour through the vibrant violet portal. Punz doesn’t even have to look behind him to know — Sapnap, Sam, Puffy, everyone he could convince, everyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tommy</span>
  </em>
  <span> helped to convince — they’re all here. Every last one of them. They might not see eye to eye, or believe in the same things, but they’ve got a common enemy here, and Punz is more than glad they’ll all be working together to fight him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tommy and Tubbo run into the crowd of armoured allies — the netherite armour and belts filled with potions and supplies and weapons that gleamed softly with shimmering enchantments that they set off with have disappeared, small frames covered in nothing but clothes as they stared down Dream. Tommy hisses frantically to Tubbo, “The discs,” and Punz knows that Tommy’s at the very least going to accomplish his own goals. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But before they leave. Before they do whatever they will with Dream — Punz knows Sam’s been working on that prison, knows it’s meant to be indestructible and inescapable — Punz wants to tell Dream some things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t hard, you know,” Punz says, trusty axe still swinging a familiar rhythm in his hands as he advances. Leads the charge against the man he would have said he was allied with not even weeks prior. “When you told me I had to pretend to be on Tommy’s side, to protect myself? Save myself from the collateral damage that would come from associating with you? It wasn’t hard at all.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, to pretend? You’re a good actor, Punz, we both know that—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” He’s only a few feet away from Dream now. He still can’t see anything behind that ceramic mask, the painted smile, but Punz hopes Dream is glancing around desperately, trying still to look for a way out like cornered prey that’s just too stubborn to give up and resign. “It wasn’t hard to figure out I didn’t want to work for you anymore.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dream laughs, and its tinged with nerves, and that’s all Punz needs to slash out with his axe, holding the blade mere inches from Dream’s neck, grin widening when he hears the sharp exhale that escapes Dream. “Come on now, Punz — I’ve been your employer for so long. You’d really go back on that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you really think it was enough?” Images flash through Punz’s head — the terror and fear and exhaustion found on everyone’s faces after the confrontation at the ruins of the community house; the bruises and cuts and wounds freshly decorating everyone as they try to piece themselves back together in the ruins of L’Manberg; the broken, haunted looks that are more common to see in these lands than smiles. “A few diamond blocks every now and then. Whatever ‘loyalty’ you thought you cultivated. You thought it’d be enough? To stand by as you commit atrocity after atrocity?” Punz laughs, and it’s sweet, ringing out and echoing in the high-ceilinged halls. “Shit, maybe if you’d paid me in netherite. But your diamond pocket change didn’t cut it, Dream. Not with everything you’ve done, and everything you’d continue to do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Punz glances back. Catches Tommy’s eye. Sees a familiar fire in them that hasn’t been lit for a while. “Besides, it’s like I’ve always said — I’m loyal to the highest bidder. And this time around?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A chest full of gold and diamond and netherite with a hastily scrawled plea for help. The joy in Tubbo’s eyes after Punz helped him take care of a fox. The genuine pangs of anger and pain in his chest as Fundy was reduced to tears by Tommy and Techno, the way he couldn’t help but calm him down after. Watching Sam stare desolately at the ruins of the community house; watching Sapnap desperately try to put it back together. Knowing that he’s the only one that hasn’t been directly abandoned or betrayed by Dream. Knowing it’s only a matter of time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In hindsight, Punz thinks this is one of the easiest decisions he’s ever had to make.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The highest bidder wasn’t you.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>PUNZ'S CHARACTER IS OBJECTIVELY SO COOL!!!! and i think he deserved an epic speech so here's,, A Version of one!! as i post this it has literally just become february but we'll pretend i posted it right on jan 31 for punzobday &lt;3 merc punz supremacy!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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